http://themilitant.com/2018/8216/821606.html
The Militant (logo)
Vol. 82/No. 16 April 23, 2018
(front page)
Florida prison officials back off new moves to
censor ‘Militant’
BY JOHN STUDER
The Militant geared up for another fight when it got a letter from a
reader behind bars in Florida saying his paper had been impounded by
authorities at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution. He sent us the
impoundment notice after officials seized issue no. 12, falsely claiming
it “depicts, describes or encourages activities which may lead to the
use of physical violence or group disruption.”
In the space on the form where officials have to indicate the “specific
written or pictorial matter” that led them to censor the paper, Santa
Rosa authorities wrote, “ALL PAGES DISCUSS PROTEST.”
If upheld the arbitrary and unconstitutional impoundment could mean
every issue of the Militant would be banned — and most other
publications also. In today’s world, even the most conservative
bourgeois papers frequently report on workers strikes, protests by
teachers, marches against cop killings and other demonstrations.
The Militant has fought almost a dozen efforts by Florida prison
officials to bar the paper from its readers behind bars. We have won the
majority of them.
This record has had an effect. Militant attorney David Goldstein
contacted the Florida statewide Literature Review Committee April 9 to
request they overturn the ban. Committee Chair Allen Peterson wrote back
that they had in fact rejected the impoundment four days earlier. “This
means the issue will be allowed into FDC institutions,” Peterson said.
“Maybe Florida prison officials have decided to back off on censoring
the Militant for a while. That would be great for our readers in Florida
prisons,” said John Studer, the paper’s editor. “Readers behind bars
should let the Militant know if their subscriptions are impounded.”
Related articles:
Bail bondsmen use power to jail workers to extort them
Judge stays parole for Herman Bell as NY cops campaign to halt release
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